Dear Colleagues and Students,

The Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) cordially invite you to participate in IAS Guest Discussion: “The World as Historical Analogy”, scheduled for 10 April 2025 (Thu). Please find the details below:

• Title: “The World as Historical Analogy”
• Speaker: Dr. Xin FAN (Faculty of Asian and Middle EasternStudies, University of Cambridge)
• Moderator: Prof. Shaoyang LIN (Head of Academic Programme and Publication of lAS, Distinguished Professor of FAH, University of Macau)
• Date: 10 April 2025 (Thu)
• Time: 16:30 – 18:00 PM
• Language: English, supplemented by Chinese
• Venue: Seminar Room (E34 – 3011)

Biography of Speaker:

Dr. Xin FAN（范鑫）is a global historian who has studied and worked in China, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. He currently teaches at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge, where he also serves as Fellow and Director of Studies at Lucy Cavendish College. He is the author of World History and National Identity in China: The Twentieth Century (Cambridge University Press, 2021), Global History in China (Palgrave MacMillan, 2024), and he is the second editor of Receptions of Greek and Roman Antiquity in East Asia (Brill 2018).

Abstract:

In recent years, the rise of global history has drawn increasing scholarly attention to spatial dimensions in the formation of the modern world, such as connection and entanglement. However, the conceptual foundations of world history remain an area that requires further exploration. While some intellectual historians advocate for a return to the European intellectual tradition, historians of the non-West must critically examine the complex power dynamics embedded in the discourse of world history. This talk will focus on analogy as a crucial approach to shaping world-historical consciousness. Moving beyond the conventional East-West framework, we will explore several case studies that illustrate both the use and misuse of historical analogy in world historical writing. By doing so, we argue that overcoming Eurocentric biases in world history necessitates a more self-aware and methodologically rigorous approach. Historiography remains a powerful tool for constructing a truly global historical narrative.

On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Macau, we would like to express our gratitude for your unwavering support to us. Your involvement and support have helped build a strong foundation for our interdisciplinary research platform and inspired us to keep moving forward. The IAS is excited to carry on our mission, rooted in Macau, by organizing high-quality academic activities that showcase the diversity of academic collaboration.

We look forward to seeing you at this event! For more information about IAS, please visit the website at https://ias.um.edu.mo/. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at ias.programme@um.edu.mo.

Best regards,
The Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences